"The Great Gatsby" Timeline

The GREAT GATSBY

Gatsby is Murdered

Gatsby and Daisy Begin an Affair

Nick Moves Back to the Midwest

Nick Moves to West Egg

World-weary and appalled after the events that transpired in the previous months, Nick moves back to the Midwest. Two years later, he writes about what happened - from the reader's point of view, the book - seemingly as a way of getting his frustrations and ire out.

Nick reunites Gatsby and Daisy. They rekindle their relationship after Gatsby shows her his riches. A few weeks later, Tom stops by Nick's and Gatsby's houses. Gatsby impulsively and almost aggressively tells Tom that he knows his wife, Daisy. Tom wonders "where in the devil he met Daisy", and remarks that "women run around too much these days".

Jordan and Nick break up. Before he and Daisy leave town, Tom convinces George Wilson that it was Gatsby who killed and had been having an affair with Myrtle. George shoots and kills Gatsby as he is relaxing in his pool, and then kills himself.

Nick Carraway, the main character and narrator, moves to West Egg in Long Island, New York. Across the bay is East Egg, where Nick's cousin Daisy lives with her husband, Tom. While visiting them, Nick learns from Daisy's friend Jordan Baker that Tom is having an affair. The next day, Tom takes Nick to meet his mistress, a woman named Myrtle Wilson. The party ends with Tom breaking Myrtle's nose after she repeatedly says Daisy's name.

Myrtle Wilson is Killed

The Affair is Revealed

Gatsby's Funeral

Nick Meets Jay Gatsby

The murder-suicide is portrayed simply as the actions of a man driven mad with grief, and there is no mention of Myrtle's affair or Tom and Daisy. Nick was alone, trying desperately "to get somebody" to be at Gatsby's funeral. After three days, Gatsby's father sends word that he is coming up from Minnesota. He arrives, crying and "on the point of collapse". Only Nick, Gatsby's father, and Owl-Eyes show up to the funeral.

Nick is invited to a party at his next-door neighbor's mansion. He finds hordes of drunk strangers there, but not the host. Nick learns that he is likely the only guest that was actually invited - most people just show up. Gatsby almost never attends his own parties, but one night he introduces himself to Nick in person. Nick eventually finds out that Gatsby wants Nick to set him up with Daisy, whom he has been in love with for years.

Daisy invites Nick and Gatsby to lunch at her and Tom's house. Tom realizes that Daisy and Gatsby are having an affair, and they all go into town together to the Plaza Hotel. He confronts Gatsby, and they fight over Daisy. Gatsby and Daisy had planned to reveal their affair to Tom, but Daisy couldn't deny that she "did love him once". Tom reveals that he "made a little investigation into" Gatsby's affairs, and that Gatsby's money comes primarily from criminal activity.

Following a fight with her husband George after he learns that she is having an affair with an unknown man (whom the reader knows to be Tom), Myrtle Wilson is run over and killed. Nick realizes that it was Gatsby's car, and learns that Daisy was the one driving. Gatsby decides that he will take the blame.